- John Illman
- London, UK
- john{at}jicmedia.org
In October 1999, Richard Sykes, chair of Glaxo Wellcome, stormed into 10 Downing Street, reportedly “incandescent.” The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), a new, largely unknown body, had recommended that the NHS in England and Wales should not prescribe Relenza (zanamivir), Glaxo’s new influenza treatment.
Costing £24 for a five day course, it appeared to reduce severity of symptoms from six to five days. Ruling that it was not cost effective, NICE calculated that in an epidemic year it might cost the NHS up to £100m.
NICE
Sykes threatened that if the “ludicrous” decision was not reversed, Glaxo Wellcome, then Britain’s biggest pharma company, would consider leaving the UK. But, briefed by Health Secretary Frank Dobson, Prime Minister Tony Blair refused to overturn the decision.
The founding NICE chair, Michael Rawlins, said that this was “precisely the sort of problem that we had been set up to sort out.” His revolutionary role was to make him one of the most controversial figures in medicine—and a world leader in health and social care guidance and medicine evaluation. His brainchild now has a staff of 680 employees.
Gillian Leng, former NICE chief executive (2020-22), said, “Mike Rawlins was a wonderful human being who combined warmth and humanity with a razor sharp intellect. He had vision, drive, and a passion to improve healthcare, always with patients at the centre. He leaves a …